The Cetra and the Oracle
by Thyme In Her Eyes
Summary: Reeve recounts his final memory of Aeris. [Contains shades of Reeve x Aeris.]


The Cetra and the Oracle  
  
Author's Note: Ah, it's good to be writing again! Anyway, down to business: this one-shot 'fic centres on Reeve aka Cait Sith and is told from his perspective. It concerns a brief conversation between him and Aeris, towards the end of the first disc. Contains shades of possible Reeve/Aeris. Also, I own a copy of Final Fantasy VII. But, Square owns the copyright of Final Fantasy VII. I think we're pretty clear on that. Anyway, enjoy the story and remember to give feedback, please!  
  
----- ----- ----- ----- -----  
  
The Cetra and the Oracle  
  
----- ----- ----- ----- -----  
  
I don't know why I'm doing this.  
  
I'm not sure that I'm doing the right thing. I wish Cloud could've done this instead of me. Even though it's as much my story, as much my quest, as much my life as any one of us, it feels a bit wrong that I'm the one writing it down. Not because I don't feel worthy, but because I feel like I'm taking something away from the others - not they'd disapprove. But, out of all of us, I don't know if I'm the right one for this. I'm not the worst possible one to do this, by no means, but it doesn't feel enough like my story. It's sad, really - the ones whose story it really is, the ones this tale belongs to, are the ones who would never write it down. So, it's up to good old me! Besides, I know I've earned the right to tell this, as much as anyone else.  
  
Now that everything's over and done with, there's so much to be done, so much starting over. We've already done a lot, but there's so much more that needs doing. And I want to be a part of that. I want to help, do what I can, especially seeing as I know for a fact that there's a lot that I can do. I suppose that's what I believe in: always do what you can. Back in the days of Shinra, I didn't become head of my department without caring at all about the good of people. I tried to do the best for people, but naturally, I couldn't always. Well, now I can make up for that - I can make up to the people and myself. I'd much rather get involved in the future than dwell on all the past; it's a good, healthy attitude and I like having a good healthy attitude as well as a good outlook. I've seen a bit too much of what a bad attitude can lead to.  
  
Still, why I'm doing this escapes me. Maybe I just need to get this all out of me, clear it out of my head. Maybe I just want to be sure that everything's over. Or maybe I just want to write it down to make it real and true, to make sure I remember it. Actually, I could write a book about all this, the whole adventure - since the Meteor Crisis, memoirs have become a publishing phenomena. Diaries of the weeks leading up to Meteor have flooded in too. I'm smiling as I write this - it's good that the publishing houses got back on their feet first, I think. Not that these latest books are that great; every now and again you'll come across a real gem, but mostly it's just people trying to be poetic, grabbing at metaphors whenever they can and keeping up with the fashion of mentioning a foreshadowing as much as possible. The word 'fervour' seems to be incredibly popular with everyone too.  
  
But it's a good start. You can't beat a good start. You can't beat encouraging people to express themselves creatively, either. Masterpieces or not, they're the most honest books I've read in a long time and it brings a real smile to my face to know that I helped contribute towards it all, towards everyone's second chance. Still, I'm keen on the idea of writing about us all, our journey - help society when I can, and devote some free time to write down why it's all so important, to remind me about all the things I'd forgotten about myself. I remember, back in my college days, that I'd wanted to be a writer. I like it. It can't hurt to try. Especially if I get it done before Barret gets the same idea.  
  
I think I'll put down the most difficult stuff first, those memories that just make you ache whenever you hold them again. Just to get it out of the way. I'll never be able to keep going, knowing that it's ahead of me, looming up in front of me.  
  
No, it's not right to start so negatively. I've already filled the first page with my confusion, so I don't want to move on to the negative straight after. This journey deserves better and so does everyone involved. I should begin with something good, something to make me confident enough to tackle the rest of the story. We've kept the Planet alive, we've kept hope alive, we've helped towards a new beginning - I don't want to waste it by reminiscing about what we all feared was the end. This adventure's had a happy ending, believe it or not, and we're all the happier for it, I know. So I should start with a happy memory. One with some good laughs. Something that makes me smile to recall it. To hell with continuity.  
  
You know, the moment the words 'happy' and 'memory' were combined in my brain, the first name that came to me was Aeris. It makes perfect sense to me, to start with her. She's the reason that I'm here, writing this now, smiling to myself with fond memories. She's the reason we're all here, doing whatever it is we do. She also made us all very happy. In a lot of ways, she was the heart of our ragtag group and there's a small part of me that really hopes that she knew it. There's another part of me that knows that she'd encourage me to do this, that she'd be proud of me and happy for me, as happy as she was for all of us for having the courage to pull through. Thoughts like that really push me away from the urge to procrastinate, just because I can. Plus, she'd be angry at me if I did.  
  
She was special. She was special to all of us. If ever there was someone I genuinely wanted to give a good, proper fortune to, then it was her. I guess I never needed to, since she seemed to expect her future to be good and bright, anyway. A good, bad or just plain warped fortune from Cait wouldn't have changed her outlook as far as that was concerned. I wish her future was the happy one she'd believed in so fiercely. We all have memories of her and I know that the others keep them secret and hold these memories close to themselves, close enough to never want to share them. Well, I've decided that I want to share her with everyone.  
  
I think Cloud and Tifa feel the same way, and feel her memory deeper than any of us, but they're still holding their thoughts inside their hearts. Well, except the one really important thought - the one about the way they feel about one another - they let each other know that thought the night before we descended into the crater, I think. Now, they're both learning a lot about revealing their thoughts and their hearts. And I couldn't be happier for them. That's what I told them, the minute I found out. How you feel about another person - that's the gem. Out of the big, untidy jumble of human thoughts, that one, I believe, is the real keeper. The important one.  
  
Well, I have a memory of Aeris and it means a lot to me. And instead of tucking it away somewhere, to relive again and again when I get old and too sentimental for my own good, I want to free it. And I'll be as sentimental about it as I like.  
  
It was the night when Aeris would leave our party and try to stop Sephiroth on her own, not that any of us could've ever guessed at the time. We were staying in Gongaga for the second time. I was controlling Cait Sith #2. The Temple of the Ancients was gone, along with the original robot. Tseng of the Turks was dead. Cloud had given the Black Materia to Sephiroth. Aeris had been hurt. And we were all too nervous to ask questions.  
  
I don't know why I didn't just put Cait on autopilot - I'd already reported the big details to Shinra. There was nothing left for me to, generally: everyone was asleep or at least trying to sleep, even though it was reasonably early in the evening. Even I was tired, after having such a hectic day. Maybe the low morale and air of complete puzzlement got to me, too.  
  
All I could do was wander around the small town, trying not to think too much about all the things I'd seen that day. I even preferred to think about the nice little mess Shinra had made of this village, to look at the ruined homes and the cemetery and remind myself that Shinra had killed innocent people, just like AVALANCHE had, rather than reflect on what had happened.  
  
To be totally honest, I wasn't sure what had happened. Yes, I was there, yes, I saw it all, but I still couldn't digest all that I'd seen, or managed to form a clear picture of what had happened. Concern can do that, I think. Not that I wasn't feeling a bit queasy, deep down, for being concerned about terrorists and murders, but that's what I felt, all the same. I was just relieved to know that I'd admitted it, rather than repressing the emotion like an idiot. Besides, I'd be lying if I said that back then, they all meant nothing to me.  
  
Concern - now there's a word I didn't want to touch with a ten-foot bargepole. I didn't feel comfy with being worried about a group of terrorists that were perfectly happy to blow up reactors and people alike. But there I was, brimming with concern. And for a group of people who belong in prison, to boot. Now that made me feel guilty. As guilty as I felt for forming friendships with them, for beginning to see them as human beings as opposed to mass-murderers, for starting to like them and understand most of them. That frightened me a little.  
  
I could've visited Aeris. I wanted to. Everyone else had visited her. I hadn't because I still couldn't get the image of Cloud hitting and beating her the way he had, out of my head. I would've felt too awkward and strange. So, for my sake, rather than hers, I admit, I stayed well away and hoped that she didn't particularly mind. Since the disaster at the Temple, she'd kept to herself, mostly, but she welcomed all her friends to her. I had the feeling that she wasn't so much hiding from the world, as keeping to herself so she could think. Out of all of us, I got the feeling that she was the only one with any sort of idea about what to do. It made me admire her.  
  
So, controlling Cait, I wandered around, feeling sick with anxiety. I wished I could be useful to someone, that there was something I could do to help all of a sudden. I wouldn't have minded telling someone their fortune, just so I could have something to do rather then feel hopeless. It probably shouldn't have gotten to me so much. After all, it wasn't as if we were friends. You know, not real friends.  
  
I wandered around, hoping I could ask someone about what had been going on, or find someone to be cheerful around. I'd been enjoying being so full of cheer and optimism, and I felt a bit cold and empty without it. For fun or distraction, I popped out a fortune for myself, just to see what it said.  
  
Seize the day!  
  
That was all it said. I felt a sudden rush of disappointment. Back in Midgar, I yawned, suddenly feeling all the hours of the day creep up on me like assassins and the machine picked up on this and made Cait Sith transmit a faint, warped echo of the sound. I laughed, in spite of myself, and the same thing happened. It looked like the new and improved Cait Sith was a bit too advanced and improved.  
  
"Cait? Is that you?"  
  
At hearing the voice, I jumped in surprise, so it took a moment longer than normal to get Cait's body to respond by turning to face whoever it was. It was Aeris. It was the first time she had emerged from her room all day. She had used her magic to heal her wounds but I was sure that I could still see the shadow of a bruise on her chin.  
  
I guess I better be honest from the start if this is going to be any good. I liked her. I liked her, had feelings for her, had a crush on her - I don't know which one is best to pick but it was something along those lines. Out of all of AVALANCHE, it was her I wanted to talk to the most, it was her company I enjoyed the most. I wondered more than once why she was following them around, why it didn't seem to bother her. It probably did, knowing how she valued human life, but she never said anything. There's another side of her we never got to really see. She was like that - she had so many sides to her. I thought she was fascinating. I just liked being around her a lot. On the other side of the world, she made the human me laugh and grin and think. It was a weird kind of crush, with me being so many miles away in another body and her being part of the terrorist faction that I was going to turn over to justice. But it was there and I didn't want to get rid of it. I liked her too much. I miss her a lot now.  
  
"Hey, Aeris." I commanded the robot to say. "It's good to see you up and about."  
  
She smiled and her green eyes smiled with her. "It's good to see you too."  
  
For a minute I didn't understand her, but then I remembered about the sacrifice of the original Cait Sith. I don't think she'd really seen this new model until right now. I commanded the robot to do its bizarre, upbeat dance for a moment before cheerfully announcing; "Ta-da! Well, this is the new me now. New and improved! What do you think, Aeris? You like it?"  
  
"It's great." She gave a full nod and clasped her hands together. "You look exactly the same." She didn't sound disapproving or disappointed, but moved.  
  
"Well, that came out wrong, I'm sorry! I just couldn't help but thinking of you as dead, back at the Temple. I cried for you. Well, I sniffled a lot. I don't cry very beautifully. Thanks. Thanks for doing it, even if it wasn't really you, I think it was a part of you. Thanks for sacrificing it to help us. It was brave of you." She said with a casual grin and I wondered if she guessed at all how good it was to know that she'd been sad to lose Cait. "Thanks for saying that Cloud and I were perfect for each other, too - you really made my day with that!" she added, with a wink.  
  
She threw her arms up in a defeated gesture. "Now, it's like you've come back from the dead and I'm just really glad to see you, robot or no robot."  
  
"I gotta say, this new model isn't quite the same but it's got some good things going for it!"  
  
"Really? I mean, do you miss the old one?"  
  
"It's difficult to say," I replied awkwardly, "I'd been involved in the design and construction of the original but this one's just a copy with added technology. It doesn't feel the same, it doesn't feel like it's mine, it feels kinda wrong somehow. I was very attached to it."  
  
"Are you happy to be back with us?"  
  
"Yep! It's very good to be back and in one piece, I can say!" I joked.  
  
She grinned. But from what I could see of her in the darkness (which is much more than Aeris could see of me I think, big pink furry mog aside, because the cameras Cait Sith was equipped with were ideal for discerning images in the dark) shocked me. She looked different to her usual self. It wasn't as if a light had gone out in her face, but as if a new light had been born and it was shining so brilliantly that it made the usual brightness of her other features seem dim and pale in comparison. I'd expected to see her perhaps quieter or more nervous after what she'd experienced, but nothing like this. I couldn't make sense of the emotion shining through her at all. But I knew the feeling that was burning in her eyes - determination, if I ever saw it. Her green eyes looked deep, serious and stubborn and I could tell by looking at them that she'd made an important decision. It worried me.  
  
"How are you feeling?" I asked. I was glad that she could only try and discover my concern by my voice, as Cait's facial expressions were so limited.  
  
She shot me a reassuring smile and gave a brief, positive nod of her head. "I'm good. I feel okay."  
  
"Good to know." I replied.  
  
"Thanks for caring." She said, with another assertive nod. She shivered a bit from the cool night air, as a breeze played with her long brown hair. I thought she looked pretty.  
  
"Do you want to go inside?" I asked. My real body being so far removed from the harsher realities of the adventure, I had no idea at all how cold it was, seeing as there was no way I could feel it. I started to wonder why she'd gone outside in the first place.  
  
Aeris struck her on her hips. "Oh no! I've been inside for too long! I need some fresh air, it helps me think. I don't mind the cold, I can stand it, okay?"  
  
"Sure." I said. Somehow I felt awkward leaving Cait just standing there with her. It was a strange moment. I don't think I could possibly have felt more uncomfortable if I'd been there in real life, as me, as Reeve, rather than using the robot.  
  
"Say, why don't we go on a little date?" she said, with a comically sly look on her face. She must've known that she'd startled me a little. "Come on," she said playfully, "let's just walk around here together. After all, I promised you a date in exchange for my fortune, didn't I?"  
  
We both knew that this wouldn't be anything like her date with Cloud and what it meant to her. She just wanted to kid around a little and so did I, thinking about it.  
  
"Okay," I said mockingly gallantly, commanding Cait Sith to offer his tiny cat arm to her, "let's go on a date, then!"  
  
She laughed and took Cait's arm and we both wandered around Gongaga for a while, talking about meaningless things that made us laugh. We were just playing around, playing at dating. It seemed to take her mind off worrying about Cloud, which she seemed to really need. I tried to be the jolly ol' Cait Sith. She enjoyed a nice, light conversation, I think, because it seemed to be distracting her from some huge, crusading purpose. Then, she noticed the paper fortune still in Cait's hands. She gestured towards it playfully and I let her see it. On reading it, she smiled warmly with approval.  
  
"I like this one. I think it makes me feel big and confident about things." A secretive look sparkled strongly in her eyes. "Maybe this one was meant for me. I'd have liked one like this right about now."  
  
I didn't understand what she was talking about. I couldn't tell if she was joking or not. She rarely did when it came to my fortunes, Yes; she delighted whenever I told her fortune but I don't think it was because she just thought it was a fun game. She always spoke of them with a mystified interest and a definite seriousness behind the cheery attitude. Maybe it was her Cetra blood that gave her respect for an oracle, never mind if my fortunes were reliable or not. But I liked that - the way she swerved between seriousness and humour so subtly it was almost frustrating.  
  
"So," she said, "are you going to carry on telling fortunes from now on? I miss them."  
  
"Why do you ask?"  
  
"Well, because I like them, of course!" she said with a laugh.  
  
Everything was hushed and still but the atmosphere was heavy with secrets. The whole village, the night itself, seemed to realise the need for secrecy, the need to hide what had happened earlier that day, the need to be quiet and to by no means talk about it. Everyone was full of questions and doubts, but no-one could bring themselves to mention it. It was like saying it out loud would make it real, give it strength. Or maybe we all too cowardly. I know I was. It felt weird to break that dense silence by speaking.  
  
"So, how's Cloud?" she asked quietly.  
  
I was a little surprised by her question. But not very much. One thing everyone could see clearly was that no matter what Cloud had done, no matter how inexplicable, somehow, we all knew that it wasn't his fault. We all knew it wasn't really him, that he was being manipulated or controlled somehow. I was so sure of this that I'd reported it back to Shinra as a fact. I knew that Aeris didn't blame him for this but it still warmed me to see how concerned she was.  
  
"Well, I don't really know too much." I responded haltingly.  
  
"Isn't it your business to know?" she inquired, not unkindly. I don't know whether or not her question hurt my feelings.  
  
"Aeris, there's only so much we know right now," I said, hoping she'd take the 'we' to mean AVALANCHE, as opposed to Shinra, "you know, none of us really knows what's going on or what to make of it. We're all worried because we don't know what's wrong with him. Besides, I've already told Shinra all I know about him and what he did."  
  
She crossed her arms and scrutinised Cait, as if she were trying as hard as she could to see me at the other end of him. "Well, are you going to tell me all you know, too?"  
  
"After what happened to you, after we pulled him away and stopped him, he - I don't know - he just blacked out. He's been unconscious ever since then. He's resting up in the inn near here, but no-one knows what to do. No-one knows if he's going to be alright, either."  
  
"Have you been to see him?" she asked.  
  
"No, not yet," I said, whilst Cait Sith shook his head automatically in response to my negative reply, "I mean, part of me wanted to go and see Cloud, to see how he was doing, even though I knew he would still be out cold. But then again, another part of me wanted to be as far away as possible. I don't know - thinking about makes me remember something that happened when I was younger: there was this chair that I used to have - one day, when I was sitting on it, I heard something snap loudly but even though I looked all over the chair, I couldn't see anything broken or different. But despite that, I was terrified to ever sit in that chair again, sure that if I did, it would collapse under me or something. It was that same kind of fear, the same kind of knowledge that something's been broken, that kept me away, that makes me feel weird about seeing him. It's probably selfish not to visit, but it rattles me, I guess. He probably wouldn't have been too cheery to see me, anyway, if he was awake."  
  
I think she could tell that past all that, I was worried about him. I had no idea what was going on his head but it scared me to think about it and I felt an intense pity for him and found myself hoping that he could sort it out and get over it. Everyone else was probably feeling the same way - I hated to think how concerned poor Tifa must've been - but they all coped with it by being quiet and pretending it wasn't there and it was driving me crazy. I desperately wanted to talk about it with them, to plan what we were going to do, to ask if something was seriously wrong with him. But like I said, I was probably too nervous and scared myself to do anything except take the good old wait-and-see way of solving problems.  
  
"And," she struggled with the next part, "is Shinra coming for us now? Now that Cloud's in such bad shape?"  
  
"Nah, don't worry about it, Aeris," I reassured her "there's putting all their efforts towards getting to Sephiroth now. You don't need to panic. Actually, they're considering AVALANCHE not nearly so much of a threat anymore, without Cloud leading us."  
  
"So they think that the rest of us won't know what to do, right?"  
  
I didn't answer her. Her eyes wandered towards the inn and filled with a kind of sad, heavy mix of wisdom and confusion, but I still couldn't feel much pity for her because there was something so strong and certain in her eyes. It was like she knew that everything would be alright, as if she had all the answers. It infected me with hope.  
  
Even if I didn't know anything about Cloud, Aeris and the relationship between them, then that look would've told me beyond the shadow of a doubt, how she felt about him. Everyone knew - I knew, the others, poor Tifa knew and probably by now, Cloud must've been picking up on it. If she wasn't already in love with him, then she was definitely in the process of falling in love with him. And it wasn't difficult to see hat he, lost and confused as he was, had strong feelings for her, too. I hadn't seen him respond to anyone's friendship the way he responded to hers. There was definitely something there, some sort of spark. I liked seeing the two of them so happy and I hoped the compatibility fortune I gave them was true. I didn't expect to like Cloud at all - after all, he'd become a mass-murderer for money, rather than good intentions, which anyone could at least credit Barret and Tifa with - but there was something genuine and decent about his manner and strangely enough, something endearingly odd about him that I couldn't help liking. Even if I had a bit of a crush on her, I didn't really bear Cloud a grudge for such a petty thing. I don't think I had the heart for it.  
  
So, I understood Aeris' concern, to a degree. I didn't really want to see anything bad happen to anyone, if it could be avoided, even Barret who felt that slaughtering Shinra employees was justice because he'd been wronged by us in the past. No, I can't say that I like him very much, even now, but I didn't want to see him dead, either. Just in prison, paying for his crimes, I suppose.  
  
"Sorry I didn't come and visit you." I said suddenly, hardly understanding why I'd said it.  
  
She looked at me, surprised. "Hey, don't worry about it. I'm just glad to see you again. I probably would've been grouchy anyway." She sounded very far away, as though she was thinking of something else.  
  
I didn't know how to answer her, so I didn't. Cait Sith did a little dance for a moment, evidence of some glitch or other in the robot, but a glitch like this I could easily get to be fond of. Watching the brief dance made her smile, which pleased me to see.  
  
"You know," I told her, suddenly feeling a bit whimsical, "I've been getting way too used to all the light-hearted side of this adventure, so I'm not really prepared for all this doom and gloom. All the seriousness of being unmasked and now all this. It just doesn't feel right. It just makes me wish that the fun part could've gone on for a little longer. I guess I enjoyed it too much."  
  
"I've enjoyed it all too. You'd have to have a heart of stone not to have fun on our little adventure. I mean, it's been great. They've been good times. And it makes me happy to know that you enjoyed it. I know that past Shinra, you're a nice guy, Cait. You're an interesting date, too! I know that everything so far has meant something to you. You know, everything else aside, it wouldn't have been the same without you with us."  
  
"It's been grand." I said, reminiscing quite happily. "I hope the outcome's going to be grand too. You're planning something, aren't you? You're going to do something." I didn't know where the revelation came from, but there it was.  
  
She stopped suddenly and faced me. For the second time, she looked as if she was trying to see past the cat, the mog, the wires, the machinery and the cameras and trying to see all the way to my face, to try and find out what expression I had right then. Then, she smiled, and a mischievous amusement lit up her eyes. Then it faded away, and a mysterious, gentle look took over.  
  
"What's your name?" She asked quietly.  
  
"Er, what do you mean? I'm Cait Sith."  
  
"Don't give me that! I mean your real name. Will you tell me? Come on! Please?"  
  
"Come on, you know I can't."  
  
She sighed. "I know, I know."  
  
"Sorry."  
  
She leaned forward a bit, scrutinising me. "Tell me what you're like then. Are you like this all the time, I mean, when you're just being you, O He- Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named. Do you act like this normally?"  
  
"Nope, I can't say I do." I responded sadly, commanding Cait to shake his head.  
  
"Liar." She said teasingly.  
  
"What?!"  
  
"You're terrible! I know that this is a part of you, Mr! What are you normally like, then?"  
  
I sighed. "I don't know. I'm - um - more serious, I suppose. Cait Sith's sort of an extension of my sense of humour and adventure - the humour and adventure muscles not getting much of a chance to flex when you work for Shinra. I do wish I could be more like how I am as Cait, normally. I think Cait's slowly becoming my way of becoming a hero, albeit over long distance. I like that."  
  
"I like the sound of it, too." Aeris said warmly.  
  
"Also, the people who matter like Cait Sith better. I like that too." I said thoughtfully.  
  
"Well, I like you as you are." She stated simply.  
  
Now, a lot of the time I'd had an odd - and very guilty - longing to be in this adventure in person, as Reeve. But I think for the first time, I was really glad that my human body was very far away from her at that moment. Because, if I'd been there physically right then, I know I would've done something really stupid. I would have kissed her. And I knew right then, how words couldn't express what a dumb thing that would've been, considering everything, and still that's what I wanted to do and if I'd actually been there would have actually done. So, for the first time, I was truly relieved that all I could do was just command Cait Sith to just stand there.  
  
I don't know if she'd picked up on any of my awkwardness but the moment dissolved into an uncomfortable silence. Then she looked up at me again.  
  
"I do have an answer. I've got the answer to everything. To Sephiroth, to Shinra, to everything. I know how I can genuinely help the Planet and all the people on the Planet. That's why I came out here in the first place - once I say goodbye to Cloud, I'm going away. It won't be for long, but everyone's going to be worried. But I'm going to be okay."  
  
"Aeris, what?"  
  
"It's like, I have a mission now. You can understand having to follow a mission, right? But I know a way to stop Sephiroth and the Black Materia. It's so important. But, I want you to know that I'm going to be fine, okay? It's a guarantee. Keep everyone's hopes up, especially Cloud's, please. And then I'll be back and everything's going to fall into place, I promise."  
  
There I was being worried again. But I knew I couldn't argue with her, or keep her here. "You are coming back, right?" I asked slowly.  
  
"Of course I am! Just take care of the others while I'm away. Cloud will take charge again - he'll know what to do. I believe in him."  
  
"Do you love him?"  
  
The question stunned us both.  
  
"Do you love him?" I repeated.  
  
"Yeah." She said, smiling. "Yeah, I do."  
  
"Are you going to see him now?" I asked.  
  
"Yes. I suppose I better get a move on. I have to move quickly now - I didn't realise so much time had gone by. I'm going to see Cloud, say goodbye and then -"  
  
"And then?"  
  
"And then I'm off to save the world." She said with a secretive grin.  
  
"Well, thanks for wasting your time with me, Aeris." I said, as warmly as I could.  
  
She smiled and gave an extravagant bow. "It's been my pleasure."  
  
"Hey, you want me to read your fortune and see what the stars have in store for you? A bright future, a happy future!" I said merrily.  
  
Her face lit up. "Sure!" she chimed.  
  
So I did my little Cait Sith dance and handed her a fortune. I wondered, feeling anxious, whether or not the fortune Cait had given her was good or bad. I know she expected a good fortune. I hoped it would make her happy. She took the paper and read it. Her face looked full of an emotion I don't think I've experienced yet, so I couldn't possibly tell you what it was. I can hardly tell you what it looked like either - if it was a happy or sad expression on her face.  
  
"So, you gonna tell me or what?" I joked.  
  
She grinned. "I'll tell you when I get back." She said with a wink.  
  
She started to walk away towards the inn and I didn't have a feeling of foreshadowing. I didn't feel jealous. I didn't feel an ache or ant kind of loss. I didn't feel as if she were fading away from me. I just felt warm and light and happy. I'd had a nice time with her, the pretty Cetra and I was glad of it. I felt brave because I knew that she was being brave. Suddenly, I realised that there was something I had to say.  
  
I called out to her. "Aeris!"  
  
She turned around to face me. "Yeah, Cait?" she asked nicely.  
  
"Be strong."  
  
Something changed in her face. She looked touched. She walked towards me again, bursting with friendliness.  
  
"Thanks." She whispered.  
  
She leaned towards Cait and gently kissed the little robotic cat on the cheek. She smiled at me. Not at Cait, not at the robot, but through the cameras at me. Reeve. She smiled at me. And then she turned, left, and was gone.  
  
That's the end of the memory. It's the last memory I have of her before she became a memory herself. I still miss her. We all do. But she's the reason we're all here to make new memories. And we're all so proud of her. This is the happy memory that I'm going to begin with. It's a good memory, a good fortune and it's what I need to remind me to be strong, to keep going with this.  
  
I don't know where I'll go on from here or how I'm going to tell it but I've made a good start. And, like I said, you can't beat a good start.  
  
*  
  
----- ----- -----  
  
THE END  
  
----- ----- ----- 


End file.
